This invention relates to an operating system for components of a vehicle, including a voice operated device and a manually operable actuating device, with various operating functions assigned to the actuating device by way of the voice operated device.
This application claims the priority of German priority application number 196 08 869.0-26 filed on Mar. 7, 1996, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
An operating system of the above-mentioned type is known from European Patent Document EP 0 078 016 B1 which has a voice-operated device and an actuating device, the contents of which document are incorporated herein by reference thereto. In this case, various operating functions are assigned by way of the voice-operated device to the actuating device which is constructed as a push button.
It is considered to be a disadvantage in this case that the user receives no acknowledgment concerning the set value and the value range of the assigned operating function.
From German Patent Document DE 36 05 088 C2, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto, an operating system having an actuating device is known to which different operating functions can be assigned by means of a lift-over function and which is constructed as a rotating actuator. Depending on the assigned operating function, the actuating device provides the user with various programmable haptic acknowledgments.
From German Patent Document DE 42 05 875 A1, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto, an operating system, particularly a rotating actuator, is known in the case of which the type of a haptic acknowledgment is also freely changeable.
The indicated prior art has in common that only operating functions can be assigned to the actuating device which are set by similar degrees of adjusting freedom, particularly by rotating or pushing, but that mechanical actuating variables for operating mirrors, seats, etc. are not activated by analogous rotating actuators but by pure switching functions (forward/backward or left/right).
It is an object of the invention to improve an operating system of the above-mentioned type with respect to its ergonomic features.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by an operating system of the above referenced type, wherein the actuating device has several degrees of adjusting freedom which can be set depending on the assigned operating function.
According to the invention, this object is also achieved by an operating system of the above referenced type, wherein the actuating device has various types of a haptic sensitive to touch acknowledgment to the user which can be set as a function of the assigned operating function.
According to preferred embodiments of the invention, improved operating systems are achieved in that various operating functions are assigned to an actuating device by means of a voice-operated device, the actuating device having several degrees of adjusting freedom which can be set depending on the assigned operating function. In addition, a user can receive a haptic acknowledgment concerning the set value and the value range of the assigned operating function, in which case the type of haptic acknowledgment is also set by the assigned operating function. Furthermore, it is possible to set only the type of the haptic acknowledgment by means of the operating function assigned by way of the voice-operated device. As an additional possibility of an acknowledgment to the user, voice output devices and/or visual display devices are provided according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention.
When the various operating functions are carried out completely by a voice operation, it is found that not all analogous actuating functions can be operated advantageously by voice. One example is the audio system volume.
Although the volume can very easily be set by the voice command xe2x80x9clouderxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9clowerxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cvery loudxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cvery lowxe2x80x9d, problems will occur at least when larger volume ranges must be scanned. Although it is possible with known systems to repeat the above voice commands several times or to repeat the voice command xe2x80x9ccontinuexe2x80x9d, such systems cannot be quite as comfortable as an analogous rotating actuator. However, the consequent use of rotating actuators for these purposes in known systems is no longer possible because of frequently overloaded front operating panels.
By means of a central operating device to which a respective desired operating function can be assigned by a voice command, in systems according to the present invention the user can proportion each desired actuating variable at any speed and sensitiveness and still only has to reach for a single button. After a brief adaptation phase in the case of an ergonomically sensible design according to the invention, it is virtually not necessary to change the viewing direction. The user can be optimally informed concerning the possibilities of the haptic and/or the acoustic and/or the visual acknowledgment by way of the selected settings.
For carrying out the assigned operating functions, the actuating device preferably has the following degrees of adjusting freedom: Translation along the x-axis (pushing forward or backward), along the y-axis (pushing to the right or the left) and along the z-axis (pressing down or pulling up); rotation about the x-axis (tilting to the left or right), about the y-axis (tilting to the front or to the back) and about the z-axis (rotating to the left or the right).
In addition, the actuating device can have the following types of haptic acknowledgment: Stop (limiting the movement in any position), for example, for relaying a maximal and/or minimal function value or a noticeable pressing and/or pulling point; different, freely selectible friction moments, for example, for relaying an average function value; simulation of a detent with variable detent forces, detent positions and detent widths, for example, for relaying a catching incremental position transducer; and returning the actuating device into a neutral position against the force of a user, for example, for relaying a joystick function.
All degrees of adjusting freedom and all types of haptic acknowledgment which are not relevant to the assigned operating function are blocked by corresponding devices so that the user can recognize from the set degrees of freedom and types of haptic acknowledgment alone which type of an operating function is momentarily present on the actuating device.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.